Free museums in Britain

Riverside Museum, Glasgow

With thousands of free museums in Britain to choose from, you’ll be missing out if you don’t visit at least one. History, design, science, giant stuffed walruses – at Britain’s free museums you can indulge your particular (or peculiar) passion without spending a penny.

London museums

It’ll come as no surprise that the free museums in London are among the biggest in Britain. Discover Aztec art and Egyptian mummies at the world-famous
British Museum
; marvel at the fascinating dinosaur exhibition and iconic blue whale at the
Natural History Museum
; take the kids along for the interactive exhibits and awe-inspiring objects at the
Science Museum
and immerse yourself in all things art and design at the
V&A Museum
, all in London and all for free.

Other free museums in Britain

The museum magic doesn’t stop in the capital. Liverpool has one of the most impressive collections of free museums outside of London, including the newly opened
Museum of Liverpool
, which documents the history of the city. Glasgow’s
Riverside Museum
is another new addition to the museum circuit. Inside, it’s Scotland’s Museum of Transport, outside, it’s a waterfront landmark designed by internationally-renowned architect, Zaha Hadid.

There are also loads of smaller museums with plenty of weird and wonderful sights to behold for free. London’s
Horniman Museum
is home to an overstuffed walrus – you’ll find him in the taxidermy collection, along with the story of the taxidermist who had never seen a walrus before so stuffed the animal’s saggy skin too tight. In the
Guildhall
, Leicester, you can step back in time and come face to face with 'Crankie Gemmie' and 'Emma Smith', two of Leicester's notorious pick-pockets who can be found lurking within the Victorian police cells. And don’t miss the Leeds Tiger and the Leeds Mummy at the
Leeds City Museum
.